Combined shirt and supporter



Feb. 7, 1928. 1,658,448

" D. LEVINSQN COMBINED SHIRT AND SUPPORTER Filed Auz. 26, 1925 Patented Feb. 7, 1928. v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID LEVINSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO WILSON-WESTERN SPORTING GOODS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

COMBINED SHIRT AND SUPPORT Application filed August 26, 1925. Serial No. 52,577.

My invention relates to a combined shirt and supporter, and has particular reference to a unique association of an athletic shirt and supporter designed to avoid objections i now present in both of these.

In athletic wearing .apparel such as athletic and sweat shirts for foot ball players, basket ball players, boxers, swimmers, etc., there is always an objectionable tendency for the lower end of the shirt to pull out of the top of the pants, this being particularly aggravated in athletic wearing apparel because of the active body movement of the wearer. Making the lower portion of the shirt longer to avoid this objection, results in an objectionable tendency of this shirt end to bunch -in the top of the pants, and this longend portion will in time creep up out of the top of the pants the same as would 10 an ordinary shirt.

. shirt to serve as a supporter. This expedient serves to keep the ends of the shirt pulled down in the top of the pants, but from the standpoint of serving as a supporter, hasnever given the satisfaction and comfort that is derived from the ordinary athletic supporter. This is due in one measureto the comparatively small elasticity of the knitted shirt material from which the garment is knitted. In addition, it is impracticable to secure any satisfactory pouching effect in the front of such extension at the point where such pouching effect is desired. The under and rear parts of this sup orter extension also tend to cut and cha e the crotch of the wearer. Finally, this supporter extension cannot be removed and washed nor substituted because it constitutes a unitary part of the shirt. I have avoided these objections by providing a combined garment in which the supporter portion is a detachable entity separate from the shirt. In associating the two, I have provided an improved arran ement of attaching parts which give a wide atitude of adjustment of the supporter relative to the shirt. This two-part construction also enables me to use elastic webbing in the supporter portion of the garment whereby much greater comfort and support is obtained. I am also enabled to obtain a full pouching efiect in the front of the supporter portion, and to use leg straps WlllCll avoid chafing and cutting the crotch of the wearer. This separable supporter port1on can be removed and washed or substituted without impairing the shirt. This supporter portion also permits the front of the shirt being cut comparatively high so as to avoid any buching of the lower part of the shirt in the top of the pants.

While my invention has been designed primarily for athletic garments, and has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings in this adaptation, it will be understood that in its broader aspect the invention can be embodied in ordinary work shirts or business shirts for keeping the lower ends of the shirt pulled downinto the trousers, particularl where the wearing of a supporter is desira 1e.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is a view illustrating the garment as worn;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the garment showing the manner of detachably fastening the supporter portion to the shirt portion, and

Figure 3 is atop or upper end view of the shirt portion illustratingan improved design of shoulder inserts or gores.

The shirt portion of the garment is designated 5 in its entirety, this shirt portion being any athletic or sweat shirt such as is worn by foot ball players, basket ball players, boxers, etc, and is generally composed of a jersey knit or flannel material. It will be noted that the front of the shirt portion is out high as indicated at 5, and is tapered down to the back portion to form a rear shirt tail 5, which will extend down over the the front pouch or sack 6, and the two di-' agonally extending leg straps 6. In accordhips. The high, arched cut 5 in the front ance with the usual practice, these leg straps are stitched together and to the lower end of the pouch portion 6 to extend at an angle therefrom for drawing up over the outer sides of the buttocks.

To the upper end of the pouch portion 6 is stitched a multiple button fastening tab 7 for detachably securing the front part of the supporter portion to the lower front end of the shirt ortion. It is desirablethat this fastening ta have comparatively sllght elasticity so that it will serve as a firm securing surface for the buttons 8, and so that practically all of the elasticity or give of the supporter portion will occur in the pouch part 6 and in the leg straps 6*. To this end, this fastening tab 7 may consist of any heavy, relatively inelastic material, but as illustrative of what I consider the preferred method of forming this tab, I make the body portion thereof of elastic webbing and stitch across the outer face thereof, duck or some other similar fabric. 7

The buttons 8 are arranged on two or more horizontal rows of three buttons each, and these buttons are adapted to be fastened in one or more rows of button-holes 9 in the shirt portion 5. These button-holes are reenforced in the body of the shirt by stitching a re-enforcing panel or backing ll of relatively inelastic fabric such asduck, to the inner side of the shirt, the button-holes being worked in the shirt and 'in'this-re-enforcing panel. By fastening either row of buttons 8 in these button-holes 9, two different heights of attachment for the front part of the supporter portion are obtained.

The rear ends of the straps 6-.-6" are looped through horizontal slits13 cut in the rear tail portion 5" of the shirt. There are two ore more of these slits 13 cut in superposed relation in each side hip portion of the shirt to afford an additional adjustment for the rear part of the supporter portion 6. In forming these looped ends in the straps 6", lacing strings 14 are laced through eyelets 15 formed in the ends of the straps and in the intermediate portions of the stra s. These lacing eyelets or holes 15 are pre erably openings faced or worked in thread in re-enforcing strips 16 stitched to the straps. For re-enforcing the garment around the slits 13, plies of felt or other reenforcing material 18 are stitched to the inner and outer sides of the shirt, and these slits are cut through the shirt material and through the two plies of felt. The three thicknesses of material are stitched together along the margins of the slits and around the outer margins of the felt re-enfor'cing plies, and this stitching adequately prevents an unraveling of the shirt material.

t will be apparent that the two vertical adjustments for the front part of the supporter portion and the two vertical adjustments through the rear part of the supporter portion will afford a latitude of ad ustment equal to any requirements. These two adjustments for both the front and rear parts of the supporter portion enable the pouch ortion 6 to be moved either up or down in the crotch to practically any desired position for greatest comfort. By the mere unfastening of the buttons 8 and the unlacing of the lacing strings 14, the entire supporter portion 6 can be removed for washing or substitution.

In making a jersey for foot ball use, or in any case where protective shoulder pads 01 armour is employed, I employ a novel shoul: der construction which accommodates any type of shoulder pad and allows complete freedom of action without tugging and without stretching the collar of the jersey out of shape. To this end I form the shoulders of the jersey of substantially triangular gores 21 which are stitched to the front and rear panels of the jersey and to the sleeves and neck hand. These triangular gores are knitted with an elastic rib stitch which runs from the neck band 22 outwardly to the points of the shoulders. This elastic rib stitch running in this direction, gives additional transverse elasticity to these gores for accommodating shoulder pads or any form of armour protector. The triangular form of the gores also gives the shoulder portions of the garment their greatest elasticity out near the points of the shoulders where'the shoulder' pads are the widest.

neck band-there is avoided the tendency to pull the neck band out of shape.

wh leI haveshown a preferred embodiment of my invention, itwill be apparent that numerous modifications and rearrangements of parts may be made without departmg from the spiritand essence of the invention.

I claim:

y making these gores separate from the tion comprising leg straps adapted to ass up over the hips of the wearer, said 8 irt portion havin a plurali of slits therein at varying heights for ad ustably receivin the endsof said leg straps together wit means on the forward portion of said supporter for adjustably positioning it with relation to the crotch of the wearer.

2. In an athletic garment of the class described, the combination of a shirt portion comprising front and rear panel portions sleeves, neck ring, and shoulder gores of elastic rib stitch separate from said panels and said sleeves and secured thereto, a supporter portion comprising a pouch and diagonally extending straps all composed of elast c webbing, a button supporting tab of relatively inelastic fabric secured to the upper end of said pouch, a plurality of rows of button holes in the front part'of. said shirt, the rear shirt'tail of said shirt portion having pairs of slits therein for receivin said cut relatively high in front and having a rear shirt tail dropping down over the hips said shirt comprising an elastic neck ban and triangular shoulder gores of elastic rib stitch, a supporter portion comprising a pouch and diagonally extending leg straps all com osed of elastic webbing, a button supportlng tab of relatively ine as tic fabric secured to the upper end of said pouch, two horizontal rows of buttons on said button supporting tab adapted to engage interchangeably in a row,of button holes in the front part of said shirt portion, the rear shirt tail of said shirt portion having pairs of superposed horizonta slits therein to each side thereof, the ends of said leg straps being passed over the buttocks and being 100 ed through said slits, and means for fastemng the looped ends of'said leg straps in said slits the said buttons and straps providing means for adjustably positioning the supporter forwardly or rcarwardly as well as vertically to accurately fit the crotch of the wearer.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 29th day of Jul 1925.

DAVID L VINSON. 

